Malaga-costa Del Sol Airport Project To Bring In More Tourists – But What Then?

Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport has officially launched its astir eager upgrade since nan 2010 opening of Terminal 3, pinch Spanish airdrome usability Aena awarding a €52.16 cardinal statement for useful guidance and supervision.

This will beryllium nan operational kickoff of a monolithic €1.5 cardinal finance scheme designed to summation yearly rider capacity to 36 cardinal and bring accommodation up to day for an improved flyer experience. But what carrier description plans beryllium for erstwhile holidaymakers get astatine Malaga?

Key task milestones and first investments

Aena’s latest tender follows nan caller €36.5 cardinal grant for task design, pushing early commitments adjacent to €90 million. The description now moves from nan readying shape to execution while keeping nan airdrome afloat operational, pinch phased building which is said will minimise disruptions to rider flows, information checkpoints, boarding, and baggage claim.

Highlights of nan overhaul include:

• A caller non-Schengen boarding pier pinch centralised passport control.
• Automated information checkpoints and further pitchy bridges.
• Upgraded baggage handling for faster delivery.
• 41 per cent summation successful unit and eating areas; 43 per cent maturation successful VIP lounges.

The upgrades are meant to trim queues, amended comfort, and make operations tally much smoothly. Airside improvements will characteristic caller taxiways to trim runway hold times, positive redeveloped entree roads and parking for amended mobility.

Record-breaking postulation drives urgency

Malaga Airport’s seemingly endless maturation has led to nan calls for this description . In nan first half of 2025, it handled complete 12.3 cardinal passengers, and summation of 7.8 per cent year-over-year, and 87,434 operations, marking its strongest commencement ever. UK passengers are still nan apical root market, followed by Germany, nan Netherlands, and Italy.

However, pinch plans to proceed bringing much tourism in, nan mobility of what to do pinch them erstwhile they person arrived astatine Malaga Airport is yet to beryllium answered. The Junta de Andalucia is investing heavy successful roadworthy improvements astir nan airdrome site, pinch caller connections pinch nan A-7 and nan MA-21 which links Malaga and Torremolinos, but erstwhile entering nan occidental Costa del Sol an passing Benalmadena, issues still proceed betwixt Benalmadena and Casares pinch acold excessively overmuch postulation connected nan A-7, 1 of nan astir costly toll roads successful nan state connected nan AP-7, and problematic and constricted obstruction recreation betwixt nan airdrome and Fuengirola.

Government backing and strategical impact

Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said of nan government’s committedness to nan airdrome description task nan commitment: “We are fulfilling our promises pinch nan Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport description pinch a €1.5 cardinal finance to upgrade accommodation and rider service.” But small has been promised pinch refers of trainline hold plans. The mobility galore are near asking is that fixed we are inviting successful much tourists, what will go of nan carrier links to ferry them to their destination?

Luckily, we are not astatine nan constituent of roadworthy postulation saturation of immoderate European airports yet, pinch Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Gatwick, Rome Fiumicino, and Frankfurt topping nan convention tables of nan European airports pinch worst postulation jams, but Malaga mightiness soon beryllium connected its measurement to joining them.